Blood Stains

The Blood Stains is a horror story about a family who move into an old house where a notorious bloody murder has been committed.

After the murders, the house had lain empty for two whole years. The newspapers were full of sickening details about the brutal crime and whenever prospective buyers heard what had happened behind those grey concrete walls, they stayed well away.

Then one day, a young married couple named Mr and Mrs Griffin came to view the house. They liked the look of it and the price was very low, so they decided to buy it. Before they moved in, they had some workmen come to clean the bloodstains off the walls… and the bathtub… and the kitchen sink.

They had to install new carpeting to cover the stubborn bloodstains on the floorboards and even after airing the house out for a week, there was still an odd smell that lingered in the hall closet.

The Griffins thought it was best to avoid telling their children about the grim history of their new home. There was no sense in needlessly upsetting the little ones and it might cause them some sleepless nights.

For the first few days after they moved in, things went splendidly. The children had a party and invited all their friends from school. Mr and Mrs Griffin went around and met their new neighbors. It seemed like they were all settling in nicely.

One night, as they were getting ready for bed, Mrs Griffin was in a thoughtful mood.

“Did you know that one of Mrs Bentley’s hands was found in the kitchen?” she asked.

“Oh,” said her husband. “Really?”

“Yes, but her fingers were in the dining room.”

“How ghastly,” replied her husband.

“I wouldn’t mind if he had used a gun,” she said, “but the way he carried it out… bits here and bits there… well, he made a mess of the whole house.”

“It wasn’t all his doing,” said her husband. “If Mrs Bentley hadn’t insisted on dragging herself around from room to room trying to escape…”

“Well she wouldn’t have had to drag herself if he hadn’t chopped off her legs,” said his wife.

“I suppose you’re right, dear,” Mr Griffin replied. “Do you think we should invite the Talbot sisters over for dinner tomorrow?”

“Oh those two are a pair of old gossips,” said his wife. “The only reason they’ll be coming is to see if we managed to get rid of all the stains.”

“He didn’t plan it in advance, you see,” said her husband. “How was he to know that her sister would drop by unexpectedly? And of course when the mailman came by to deliver the letters and saw what was going on… obviously he had to go too.”

“It was rather a mess,” said Mrs Griffin. “I think I’ll take a bath before bed…”

“In the bath where he chopped off her legs?” asked her husband.

“Yes, that one,” she replied. “The downstairs bath looks a bit too dirty.”

“Well, in that case, I’ll just pop into the bathroom while you’re getting ready,” he said.

Mr Griffin was shaving himself in the bathroom when he suddenly felt very strange. Staring at himself in the mirror, he knew there was something wrong. He just didn’t feel himself.

And then, as he stared at his reflection, an odd sensation came over him, as if his mind was somehow clouded and he wasn’t quite in control of his own actions.

He quietly opened the bathroom door, walked silently down the hallway and tip-toed up the stairs to the attic. When he got there, he opened a small cupboard and saw it sitting there in the corner.

He had no idea how, but he knew it would be there.

The axe.

Mrs Griffin was sitting in front of the bedroom mirror, putting up her hair, when she noticed her husband come into the room.

His hands were behind his back, almost as if he was hiding something and there was a curious look on his face.

“What are you thinking, dear?” she asked.

“I’m thinking I won’t make such a mess this time,” he replied.